baby micah

rather than being filled with unbridled bliss, the weeks leading up to kathryn’s birth were marked by endless appointments, unanswered questions, and uncertainty. no one knew how sick she would be or how long she would have.

but the answer soon came. it was twelve.

twelve days of her fighting hard. twelve days of them crying harder. she had twelve days of sickness in a NICU bed before she was ushered into an eternity of whole and healed life with our glorious lord.

july 2012. mary michael had shared a huge little secret with me a few weeks earlier. the secret was the huge part and the little part? that was the precious blessing that was growing in her belly. we celebrated over text messages and made plans for new pictures. not long after that, she announced the baby’s gender over facebook and among the congratulations i asked. is he healthy?

she thought i didn’t notice. she thanked the scores of excited friends but she never answered my question. after all, with a one in one million chance of another baby having the same condition as kathryn, it was easy to assume the best. but as mary michael once put it, we hit the jackpot, and during that ultrasound appointment, they had learned that micah was sick, too.

thanksgiving 2012. she’d been on bed rest in the hospital for two weeks already and had no idea how much longer she’d be there. the day had been as normal as it can when you’re living in a high-risk OB unit, but minutes before thanksgiving night drew to a close, all of that changed. benjamin micah kelley was born two months early via an emergency c-section.

we’d driven to atlanta to visit family on thanksgiving night but when i got the text early the next morning, everyone was in agreement. i had to come back. the doctors had been pointedly honest…micah wasn’t doing well and no one knew how long he would cling to life. i’d been in ethiopia when kathryn was born and only got to meet her through the celebration of her life that i was honored to document. that wasn’t going to happen again.

friends, little micah is a beautiful and precious baby boy, but as his parents are transparent enough to share, he’s very, very sick. my family has committed to take him continually before the lord in prayer, and i’m asking you to do the same. you can read more and find updates on the waiting for micah facebook page. in the meantime, fall in love with this sweet baby and his amazing family.

and He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
colossians 1:17

Mary Michael,
Jared and I are praying constantly for this precious one. We are praying for strength and peace for you all. We are praying for a full recovery for your beautiful Baby Micah. You are being lifted up. He is such a beautiful boy. Elizabeth & Jared Poplin

[…] already been written, but nothing could have been farther from the truth. another blessing would soon be born. i walked quietly into his NICU room just hours after his emergency c-section arrival that […]